Corey Boothe Secures Conviction After Violent Jet2 Flight Disruption

St Pauls Chambers barrister Corey Boothe successfully prosecuted a passenger whose drunken and violent behaviour forced a Jet2 flight to return to Leeds Bradford.

In a recent case, Corey Boothe of St Pauls Chambers led the prosecution against a passenger whose drunken violence forced a commercial aircraft to turn back mid-flight.

Disruption on a Jet2 Flight

On 18 August 2025, a Jet2 flight from Leeds Bradford to Alicante was forced to abort its journey and return to Leeds just minutes after take off. The culprit: a passenger who, under the influence of alcohol and cocaine, became aggressive, struck out at fellow passengers, refused to follow instructions, and made alarming threats mid-air.

With nearly 150 passengers and crew on board, some of whom were elderly or travelling with children, the disruption caused significant danger, distress, and financial cost—delaying the flight by almost two and a half hours and imposing thousands of pounds in additional expense to the airline.
Footage played in court showed the defendant verbally abusing crew, launching physical attacks against other passengers and even head-butting the seat in front of him.
He later admitted to taking cocaine in the car en route and drinking heavily both before and during the flight.
In mitigation, the defence acknowledged the abnormality of the behaviour and the defendant’s remorse, but the gravity of the events left the judge with little alternative but immediate custody. The defendant was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment, banned from flying with Jet2, and held accountable for the disruption caused.